


The Alf Caf

by fvck_amx



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Light Angst, M/M, Pining, alfred is older btw lol, arthur is tired, as in she has no speaking lines, cafe barista alfred, despite what the summary suggests peter isn't the annoying younger brother, the OC isn't important dw, the title is a work in progress
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-23
Updated: 2018-10-23
Packaged: 2019-08-06 05:52:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,772
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16382606
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fvck_amx/pseuds/fvck_amx
Summary: In which Alfred is a cafe barista, and Arthur is a tired architecture major. And Peter is trying to help.





	The Alf Caf

**Author's Note:**

> for @meokuhai on ig
> 
> Alfred is 22  
> Arthur is 20  
> Peter is 11

Alfred didn’t expect much when he first opened his cafe. Business started off slow but for a small cafe in a small town it was relatively alright. A few customers came in everyday, sometimes twice. It always seemed crowded during noon when teachers and sixth-formers would have their lunches then past 3 afterschool.

The perks of having a cafe near a school you know? And one without overpriced bubble tea.

That seemed popular among kids these days.

But the same routine would go on for the past 2 years that Alfred had has his cafe open. Sure there would rivaling shops and hangout places nearby that would open up but they weren’t too bad. His loyal customers continued coming back for their usual orders. And as long as that school was open, he’d always have someone dropping by.

And today, that someone happened to be Peter Kirkland. It was well past 4 on a Thursday which was when Peter would usually drop by after his club. Alfred would usually see him with his mom or one of his older brothers but as he watched him step into the cafe he noticed that this time it was someone new. He was holding Peter’s hand with small pale hands and was wearing a hoodie that covered his wheat blonde hair. When he walked up to the counter Alfred finally got a glimpse at his face.

A complete mess.

...Let me explain.

He had dark circles under his dull green eyes and seemed like he hasn’t slept in weeks. Chapped lips and light freckles dusted on his even paler face. All of this framed with his large eyebrows.

However Alfred wasn’t one to judge so he greeted him politely as he did to everyone.

“Hey there Peter! Who’s this?” He smiled, leaning over the counter a little.

“Hi Alfred! This is my brother Arthur! But he kind of looks like a zombie right now,” The younger laughed as ‘Arthur’ shoved him a little.“Architecture… and I’ll take the Thai tea with the sobero. You, Peter?”

“Bubble milk tea.”

“Alright I’ll call your names when they’re done, Arthur is A-R-T-H-U-R, right?” Alfred asked whilst writing down Peter’s name on the cup with a sharpie.

“Yes.”

“Alrighty just sit down and… yeah,” he laughed and turned to get working with the orders.

**–**

That was the first time Arthur went to his cafe.

The next time was a bit more interesting. Alfred was closing up shop late in the evening when he noticed a familiar silhouette approach slowly.

“Hello…”

Turning to face him, Alfred greeted him cheerfully. “Hey! Arthur, right?”

“Uh yes…” he paused. “Are you closed?”

“I do  _not,_  you gremlin!” Arthur huffed.

“Haha, I’m gonna assume college? I’ve never seen you around here before,” Alfred chuckled in response.

“Yeah Arthur’s staying with us until he finds an apartment,” Peter rambled whilst looking through the menu.

“Don’t go around spreading personal information Peter,” Arthur warned, looking over the menu with him. “But yes, university actually.”

“Oh, what are you studying?”

“Yeah but if you want I can quickly make a drink for you! You seem tired,” Alfred said sympathetically as he was bringing in signs from outside.

“Just got back from a class and lost my car keys…” Arthur trailed off.

“Ouch, I’m gonna assume you walked here?” He got a tired nod in response.

“Well sit down! I can get you a coffee or something, come in!” Alfred smiled, opening the door for Arthur to walk in.

“Ah, thank you… what’s your name?”

“Oh it’s Alfred… yeah I named my cafe after myself I’m really original,” Alfred chuckled, knowing that it was one of the first things people would notice after telling them his name.

“Nice to meet you, you already know me.”

**–**

After a couple of weeks Arthur started coming to his cafe more to the point of it being almost everyday, not that Alfred minded.

He’d show up after his late classes and sometimes before his morning ones. It sort of became a routine for them both, Arthur would come in late a little after closing hours and Alfred would make him a coffee to stay awake or tea to get tired. It’s gone to the point that it was already ready the moment he’d walk in.

But after all these weeks, Alfred’s interest in the Brit started growing more past curiosity. Something bordering the lines of a crush... . but that’s crazy! They only met not so long ago. And after Arthur’s got his money in line he’d move closer to school and they’d never see each other again.

This didn’t stop him from watching him walk down the road with his friends though, it didn’t stop him from sometimes giving him discounts or free drinks. Didn’t stop him from getting his number to text him.

That’s what normal friends do, right?

Normal friends definitely stalk each others facebook accounts too.

...wait what?

**–**

“Hey, Artie!” Alfred chuckled lightly as the other gave him a groan.

“God do you really have to use that awful nickname?”

“Of course! It suits you,” he winked making Arthur blush a little.

“It does not!”

“So… usual?”

“Ah… yes- do you even need to ask?”

“Haha, I guess not. So what’s up? You seem pretty nervous,” Alfred asked while he turned to make Arthur’s order.

“Well… I am actually…”

“Oh?” He stopped and faced him. “What’s up?”

“Well… you’ve had an infatuation with someone before, right?”

Alfred held his breath as his chest tightened. This wasn’t something he really wanted to hear coming from him.

“O-of course. Why’dya ask?”

“Ah well, I may have grown a sudden… fondness of someone…”

At this point Alfred wasn’t looking at him anymore and took a shaky breath. “Really? Tell me about them.”

“Oh… um… she’s really nice, quite a handful really to be around but… she… she’s a good friend of mine and I like being around her.”

_She._

Alfred didn’t know how to respond. It took him awhile to realize that he was keeping Arthur waiting, earning him a confused look.

“Sorry!” He laughed nervously, writing down his name on the cup. “...Is… Is she funny?”

Arthur’s eyes widened at the sudden question but nodded. “Very.”

“And ya like being around her, huh?”

“Yes… she helps me… a lot more than she’d think really.”

“Cool… cool…” By now Alfred was already feeling more nauseous, wanting Arthur to stop talking about  _her_.

“Are you sure you’re alright? You seem tired.”

“I-I’m good,” he was lying of course. ‘Good’ wasn’t really the emotion you had when you felt like curling up in a ball and crying your heart out.

“You should close up shop early if you’re feeling sick…”

The American didn’t trust his voice in this state so he simply just nodded. “Yeah… I’ll do that…”

“Feel better soon Al, bye!”

“...Bye…” he couldn’t tell whether that farewell was directed towards Arthur or his unrequited feelings. Like the drink, he felt ignored.

**–**

“Alfred, are you okay?”

Said man flinched at the voice and turned to see Peter there as usual. Taking a silent breath, he smiled. “What do you mean? Of course I am.”

“You see upset… what’s wrong?”

_Damn kids, so observant._

Alfred wiped his face with his apron and sighed. “Nothing. What can I get you?” He asked instead, leaning over the counter. At that moment he realized… Arthur wasn’t there like usual. His heart sunk as he thought of all the possibilities as to why that was. The most prominent one being that Arthur was hanging out with  _her_ , whoever ‘her’ was.

“Hello? Earth to Alfred?” He was pulled out of his thoughts to notice Peter again.

“Ah, sorry dude. What was it that you wanted?”

Peter just looked at him oddly but responded with his usual which Alfred quickly moved onto preparing.

After a while Peter spoke up. “If you’re wondering about Arthur, he has this project thing he’s doing. It seems pretty hard, he hasn’t stopped working on it for days.”

That sparked Alfred’s interest.

“I see, is it a group thing?” He asked, trying to find out more about this girl Arthur likes. She must be in his class, right? Maybe that’s why they got so close. He didn’t know Arthur had other close friends but yet again, sometimes it was like he didn’t know him at all.

“Yeah I think so, ever since then this girl keeps coming over with him.” So that explains it.

Alfred ignored the painful churning in his stomach and the feeling of his heart cracking. “Well that’s pleasant… here’s your drink, Peter, tell him I said hi.”

He closed early that day too.

**–**

Alfred didn’t plan on going home that evening. He just wanted to drink tea and eat his brownies until he fainted and woke up the next day. It was a Saturday too so that should be allowed.

That  _was_ his plan at least until someone started knocking on the windows. Looking up he saw it was… Arthur?

Alfred had never rushed to a door so quickly in his life. Practically slamming it open, he hugged the shorter Brit making them both stumble.

“Oh uh, hi Alf… Alf… Alfrida!” Arthur slurred making him sigh. Arthur was drunk, of course.

“Stupid, what are you doing getting drunk? Don’t ya have a project or something?” Alfred asked, pulling him inside.

“I do! But then Amy won’t stop bein’ annoyin’ so I just left the rest to her for now… I’m tired!”

Alfred silently cheered at that but felt guilty immediately afterwards. Who  _was_ he? He shouldn’t be happy that Arthur and his…  _crush_ had an argument.

“So why’d you come here and not back home?” He asked instead, sitting him down so he could get him a drink.

“Wanted to see you,” Arthur mumbled.

Alfred blushed as he turned the kettle on. Arthur really looked like he could use some tea... and sleep!

“Yup, just plain old boring Alfred… chamomile?”

“Yeah… yeah sure… can I sleep here?” Arthur laid his head down onto the table. “The table’s nice…”

“Not until you text Peter, gimme your phone.” Once he received it, he quickly sent a quick text to Peter explaining where Arthur was and of course  _why_  as well; didn’t want him getting any ideas.

But before he returned it, Alfred couldn’t help but scroll through his contacts and finding someone named “bae :*”. Curious, he peeked into their chats but immediately locked the phone when his eyes picked up the words “I love you”.

And right then and there, Alfred knew he didn’t have a chance anymore. Amy and Arthur were a thing, it was best to just get rid of his feelings now before they could hurt him (not like they weren’t already). But the quiet snores from Arthur didn’t help with the remnants of his broken and humiliated heart.

**–**

The indirect rejection took a huge toll on him and it wasn’t long until people started to notice: him stuttering while speaking, closing early or not opening at all. He didn’t even get people’s names right anymore when he wrote them down. Everything was just a mess, like him… like Arthur when he first met him– no. He couldn’t think of that now.

Speaking of Arthur, he hasn’t even visited him once since that night. The morning when he woke up, Arthur was gone. No text, no goodbye– nothing. Honestly, Alfred wasn’t surprised, Arthur probably figured him out anyway and wanted nothing to do with him. Or who knows, he was probably too busy with Amy.

Now, Alfred was staring out the window and sighed. He didn’t open up today either. Instead, he just sat at one of the tables and looked out as he internally (and externally) cried in his misery. Sometimes students would notice him and waved. He waved back of course, but they never stuck around long enough to notice the tears that stained his face or the bags that started to form under his eyes.

He wasn’t sleeping much either. Whenever he did he’d dream about Arthur and them being together only to wake up to the harsh truth that what he fantasized could never be a reality.

His thoughts were cut off when someone walked in and he was about to tell them that he wasn’t open when he noticed it was Peter.

“Arthur’s worried about you,” Peter said bluntly with a straight face.

Alfred stared at him and blinked. “What?”

Peter sighed exasperated. “I  _said_ , Arthur’s worried about you. He finished his project yesterday and came to see you but then my friends told him not to because you were always closed.”  _Oh…_

Alfred continued to look at him with a blank face. What was he supposed to say? Ask about Arthur and how he was? Amy perhaps? Instead, what came out of his mouth was a rather rude: “Why isn't he telling me this?”

He immediately wanted to die.

Peter shrugged. “He’d never admit it. Just open up tonight if you wanna talk to him.” And with that, Peter left.

**–**

To be honest, Alfred didn’t know why he was following Peter’s advice. As much as he trusted him, he really didn’t want to embarrass himself in case Arthur  _did_ come but with Amy or worse, if he didn’t come at all.

His doubts were useless, however, because soon enough, he recognized Arthur walking alone down the street and towards the cafe. And it didn’t take long for him to enter and walk right up to Alfred.

“What’s gotten into you?”

“...What?”

“Closing early or not opening at all, slacking off— are you okay?”

Alfred didn’t respond making Arthur more desperate.

“Answer me, Alfred! ...Are you crying?”

“I… don’t worry about it, Arthur. School’s just been catching up to me, haha,” Alfred chuckled but was left stunned when Arthur slammed his fist onto the counter.

“Don’t you fucking lie to me, Alfred,” Arthur hissed. “Don’t give me that schoolwork BS, you don’t even go to school anymore.”

Alfred didn’t know how to reply, he didn’t even know what to think. Still shocked from the sudden outburst, he felt his eyes watering and he desperately tried to wipe them so he wouldn’t cry.

Arthur’s gaze softened and he quickly rushed to the other side of the counter and pulled the sobbing American into a hug.

“Shh, I’m sorry for yelling at you, darling.”

“Don’t say that…” Alfred tried to pry Arthur off him to no avail.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, it’s stupid.”

“It’s not stupid if it’s making you upset”

“...Why aren’t you with Amy?”

Arthur stiffened. “How do you…”

“Peter told me… and you mentioned her the last time you were here…”

“Oh… why do you ask?”

“I… nevermind—” Alfred pushed him away.

“Alfred, are you upset because of Amy?”

“Yes! I mean, no! I mean! ...It doesn’t matter, okay?” He turned his back to him.

Arthur sighed. “Look at me.” When Alfred didn’t he tried again, “Alfred, look at me.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re my friend and I wanna help you!” Alfred visibly winced at the word  _‘friend’_ , why couldn’t they be more?

“You don’t have to…” He muttered, waiting for Arthur to leave.

“Why are you saying that? Just tell me what’s wrong—” Arthur placed his hand on his shoulder only for Alfred to turn around and grip onto his wrists

“Dammit Arthur! I like you!”

There was a loud silence that echoed after his voice. The shock on both of their faces lasted a minute until Alfred backpedaled.

“I… wasn’t supposed to say that… forget I said anything—”

“Is that how you feel?”

Alfred let go and looked down, nodding dumbly. “Too late to deny anything now…” he shrugged.

There was no response and Alfred feared that Arthur was disgusted by him when Arthur held his face in his hands and kissed him deeply.

“You fool, I like you too.”

“B-but Amy a-and… the ‘bae’ contact on your phone—”

“‘Bae’ was just Amy, a good friend of mine. We like to joke around sometimes, I was never dating her.”

“What about when you were talking about your crush?”

Arthur smiled fondly, “I was talking about you, but I didn’t know how’d you react if you found out the person I liked was a man.”

“Oh…”

Arthur’s smile faded. “Is the reason why you’re being so self-destructive because you thought I was dating Amy?”

“I... I didn’t know what to think and I was scared to ask.”

The Brit hugged him again. “I’m sorry for not telling you sooner, Alfred.”

“It’s okay… can… can I kiss you again?”

Arthur nodded and Alfred leaned down.

**Author's Note:**

> Word Count: 2623
> 
> So my friend Ian drew me some really cute fanart for this fanfic an I feel so blessed and omg thank you so much Ian! Y'all should check out his instagram because he has really cute art!
> 
> https://www.instagram.com/p/BpQaDpBHbBd/?taken-by=meokuhai


End file.
